College of Liberal Arts

College of

L I B E R A LA R T S

The liberal arts are the cornerstone of a Towson education. Students engaged with the liberal arts explore the world of ideas, values and consequences. In working with texts and data, they practice integrity in representing evidence fairly, in taking responsibility for their own work, and in respecting multiple ideas even in the face of conflict. They develop the ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, to organize and analyze, to conduct research, to work as members of a team, to solve problems, and to value civility.

CLAC O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A R T S

CLAThe range of degree programs in the College of Liberal Arts emphasizes development of knowledge and critical methods within established disciplines, study of a particular topic or interest across several disciplines, and preparation for professional career opportunities.

to read, think, speak and write! John Adams

C O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A R T S

let us dare

The College of Liberal Arts is in the process of building a new home for our students, faculty and programs. The first phase of the new College of Liberal Arts building will open for the fall 2009 term. Four departments will move to the new building in summer 2009, including Psychology, Foreign Languages, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Womens Studies. All classrooms in the new building are equipped with a full complement of technological tools in support of teaching, and the building provides spaces for student study and group work. Construction will begin immediately on phase two, the planning for which has been ongoing. Reflecting the commitments of CLA faculty and a continuing concern for student learning, the new building will emphasize classes of limited size, a flexible and technologically sophisticated environment, and multiple interactive learning sites for students and faculty.

AT A GLAN CECultural Studies Major/Minor

English Major/Minor

Tracks

Literature Writing English Secondary Education

Minors

World Literature Creative Writing

Environmental Science and Studies Major/Minor

Concentration

Environmental Studies

Family Studies Major/Minor

Tracks

Child Life Family and Human Services Leadership in the

Nonprofit Sector

Services to Children and Youth

Foreign Languages Major/Minor/Proficiency

Tracks

French German Spanish Literature/Professional Program Secondary Education Program

Electives

Arabic Chinese Hebrew Japanese Latin Russian

Geography and Environmental Planning Major/Minor

Geography Secondary Education

Track

Global Skills

Minor

Geographic Information Sciences

Geography and Land Surveying Major (with Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville)

History Major/Minor

Track

History Secondary Education

MAJORS

AT A GLAN CEInterdisciplinary Studies Major

Tracks/ Minors

American Studies Asian Studies Latin American Studies Animal Behavior Individually Designed

Thematic Option

Minors African and

African American Studies Business, Communication

and the Liberal Arts Classical Studies Jewish Studies Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

Transgender Studies Museum Studies

International Studies Major/Minor

Law and American Civilization Major

Metropolitan Studies Major

Philosophy Major/Minor

Political Science Major/Minor

Psychology Major/Minor

Options

Clinical Specialization Honors Thesis Program

Religious Studies Major/Minor

Social Sciences Major

Sociology-Anthropology Major/Minor

Concentrations

Anthropology Criminal Justice Sociology

Combined Majors

Sociology and Psychology Sociology and Geography Anthropology and Geography

Womens Studies Major/Minor

Dual Degree Program

Dual Law Program (with University of Baltimore)

The Classes

An education in the liberal arts is both liberating and practical. A student of the liberal arts acquires tools to examine assumptions freshly and to think outside artificial boundaries. The skills and competencies that graduates acquire prove appropriate to varying job settings as well as for a richer life, because students develop along with their intellectual abilities the attributes of self-reliance and initiative. In learning to recognize and understand differences in cultures and perspectives, they prepare themselves to live and work in a complex metropolitan setting, in a multicultural nation, and in a globally interconnected world.

As a student in the College of Liberal Arts you may collaborate with a professor on a research project, present research on campus or at a national conference, or publish creative or scholarly work in a campus magazine or journal. In the philosophy department, for example, an active student organization publishes a journal and organizes an annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference. A growing number of students engage in internships, and service learning and civic engagement projects that allow the exploration of possible careers, promote leadership skills, and contribute to the larger community. The college also offers a rich array of study abroad opportunities that help shape awareness of an increasingly interconnected world.

PREPARINGWORK

in aINTERCONNECTED

to LIVE and

GLOBALLY

Courses in the College of Liberal Arts

In SPAN 211 with Professor Leticia Romo, students participate in a service learning experience assisting with translation in the context of health care for Spanish-speaking clients.

In POSC 475 White House Communications, Professor Martha Kumar teaches using teleconferencing technology that permits students on campus at Towson University to interact directly with members of the White House press corps and major White House staff and policy makers. Guests over the years have included Daniel Bartlett, communications director for President George W. Bush; Michael McCurry, press secretary for President Bill Clinton; Helen Thomas, dean of the White House press corps; and many others.

Professors take students in Abnormal Psychology to a state psychiatric hospital to tour treatment facilities and to socialize with patients with severe psychiatric disorders. Students invariably find this a capstone experience which enlivens their classroom discussions and readings of theories. They realize that people with psychiatric problems are first and foremost regular people, similar to themselves and their loved ones. Often patients tell students about their disorders and the treatments that they are receiving. Following this moving experience, many students decide to pursue graduate degrees in psychology and/or work or volunteer in clinical settings.

WORKFamily Studies seniors in Karen Goldrich Eskows seminar teach a learning module to a targeted audience, attend professional conferences and create a portfolio that showcases their academic backgrounds, professional development and various field experiences in the community. This portfolio is often used in career searches after graduation.

in aINTERCONNECTED

WORLD

to LIVE and

GLOBALLY

Our Faculty

The College of Liberal Arts has a large and diverse faculty which values interaction with students and the potential for student growth. Faculty members serve as mentors, guides and research advisers as they work with students through their undergraduate and graduate careers.

Liberal arts faculty members are also scholars. Ninety-five percent have earned a Ph.D. or other appropriate terminal degree. They are the authors of books and research articles, and they regularly present the results of their scholarship at national and international conferences of learned societies. At Towson University, scholarship informs and enriches teaching, supporting faculty members in providing vibrant classes and modeling intellectual engagement throughout their careers.

CLASSES

PROVIDING

VIBRANT

and

ENGAG EMENT

Faculty Highlights

Writers in the Department of English had a banner school year in 2008-2009. Geoffrey Beckers unpublished novel, Hot Springs, was awarded the Parthenon Prize for Fiction ($15,000). Professor Becker also won the University of Georgia Presss Flannery OConnor Prize for Short Fiction. Carol Quinns book manuscript, Acetylene, won the Cider Press Book Award, which includes a publication contract and $1,000.

The College of Liberal Arts claimed two recipients of University System of Maryland Regents Awards for 2009. Professor Clarinda Harriss of the Department of English received a Regents Award for teaching, and Associate Professor Alison McCartney of the Department of Political Science received a Regents Award for mentoring. Harriss is the longtime adviser for Grub Street, the student literary magazine that year after year receives the highest awards in Columbia Scholastic Press competitions for student publications. McCartney leads a Model United Nations program and constructs courses that provide exceptional opportunities for students to practice civic engagement.

In the first year of affiliation between the Department of Family Studies and Community Development and the American Humanics program, Towson students have applied for and received $21,000 in scholarship money. Four students received the NextGen scholarship from American Humanics, a onetime $5,000 scholarship supporting student internships in nonprofits. One student also received a $1,000 academic scholarship.

Grant Highlights

Al